An exploratory committee to study forming an Association of Independent Livery Drivers in New York has been created by a group of taxi drivers headed by Angel Brito and Fernando Cruz. Brito said the idea had been seeded and dozens of livery workers have responded to the call put out by the committee founders.

He indicated that a larger committee has been established, ready to fight to organize the industry, and for economic and social benefits for the drivers, given that this sector is composed of men and women who produce millions of dollars a year in profits but themselves live in poverty.

“Some of them don't even have enough to eat, and others are sick or in the hospital, and there's no one to reach out and give them a hand. That is what led us to organize a group of drivers who will support us in organizing the industry, so that the chauffeurs can begin to have a better quality of life for their families and themselves in this North American society,” added Brito.

He said that at the onset, as is characteristic of new initiatives, the committee members will meet weekly until they have built up the necessary and adequate structure to organize the industry and to begin to provide benefits for the drivers. Among these benefits will be the ability to provide legal representation for drivers in the courts and political representation before the TLC and elected officials, in order to claim rights for the industry.

Brito exhorted any drivers interested in joining the association to call this number: (646) 479-8872. “We have many interested drivers at many bases, and they serve as the best channel through which to contact us, since the men and women in the industry are not yet sufficiently integrated; because we want to be a different choice in organizing this sector,” he explained.

He said the association needs everyone to participate. “Here we manage things in a transparent way. We are frank and open, and we will have a definitive directive when we represent more than half the livery cab bases, because we don't want directors just to say there are leaders. What we are looking for is a leadership of workers, of social activists; that's the direction we are headed.”

He explained that the association will have representation in all the boroughs. They can already count on Pedro Paredes, in Queens, and Valerio, in Brooklyn. In the Bronx and Manhattan there are work commissions because the task is more difficult there due to the large number of drivers who work in those boroughs.”

He finished by saying, “I believe that we have gotten off to a good start. The enthusiasm has been very good, and this time the industry has someone who feels its pain and that someone is the Independent Livery Drivers' Association.”

For his part, Cruz said the group was evaluating the errors of other entities that failed as a result of their erratic policies vis a vis the industry. He added that they were also looking at the obstacles confronted by base owners in defending their rights.

“We too need to organize, and that is why we have proposed this organization. Our fellow drivers see it as a good thing, and we believe we are representing all the drivers,” said Cruz.

He stated that all the members of the exploratory committee want to defend the livery drivers. He called on anyone interested in participating in the new entity to call (646) 639-9984, and also mentioned that there are other numbers to call on a flyer promoting the association.

“We're asking all our fellow drivers to join the organization because we believe we are in this to defend ourselves with regard to the problems we face,” Cruz concluded.

Besides Cruz and Brito, the other directors of the exploratory committee are Fernando García, Ernesto Méndez, Agustín González, Darío Martínez, Juan Cabrera, Julio Sosa and Edgar Camilo, among others.